Political Bytes

Ian Powell was Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, the professional union representing senior doctors and dentists in New Zealand, for over 30 years, until December 2019. He is now a health systems, labour market, and political commentator living in the small river estuary community of Otaihanga (the place by the tide) on the Kapiti Coast. Kapiti is significant as part of the remnant of a land bridge between the North and South Islands.

The purpose of this blog is to offer short, often pithy, political analyses from a left-wing perspective on New Zealand and international issues. To recalibrate Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin) progressive politics is sometimes ‘1 step backwards, 1.37 steps forward’.

Ian Powell (QSM) has an MA in History and Political Science from the University of Canterbury and a Diploma of Industrial Relations from Victoria University of Wellington. He is also the editor of the health systems blog Otaihanga Second Opinion which can be accessed at https://otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com.